It was probably because Gan Qiongying's outburst today was quite unexpected, and she also revealed the Empress Dowager's secrets that she had kept hidden for many years.

Therefore, when she made her harsh words, the Empress Dowager was actually intimidated and slightly raised her hand, signaling everyone not to take action.

Anyway, she wasn't going to let anyone in this hall survive today. Kou Ning'an was determined. Taking down Gan Qiongying wouldn't make a difference. She wanted to hear what Princess Duanrong was going to do after going to such lengths!

How did Gan Qiongying manage to end her life?

Because of his mother's strong mental fortitude.

When she captured the Empress Dowager, she did consider killing the old witch directly, or at the very least, using her to "coerce the emperor to command the princes" and threaten the little demon king.

But then what?

So what should we do then?

If she and Gan Lin were to kill the Empress Dowager, they would have no chance of survival.

If they don't kill the Empress Dowager, what will they use her to threaten the Regent for?

Gan Qiongying has no shortage of money, but she certainly can't get power. Power is like fire; without real substance, it will only burn to ashes.

And even if she gets the power, do they really dare to believe it?

If they don't want money or power, are they going to kidnap the Empress Dowager and run away?

This is not modern society.

Although surveillance is ubiquitous in modern society, there are still cases where robbers manage to escape. With sufficient preparation and various high-tech methods to cover their tracks, even if they cannot escape permanently, they can escape for a short period of time.

But this is ancient times, an ancient time when travel was ridiculously slow.

If she and Gan Lin were to escape, they would have no choice but to use horses in addition to a carriage. Regardless of whether Gan Lin's body could withstand the strain, and regardless of whether they could escape Yindu while holding the Empress Dowager in their hands, it would be difficult to make the Regent hesitate to act.

Just consider the fact that the Empress Dowager was treated as a puppet. Kou Ning'an was a powerful figure in the capital, wielding immense influence and holding absolute power in the palace. Behind her was the entire Kou clan.

But once she leaves the palace and is forced to step down from her high position, will the entire Kou clan really make concessions for her?

Just like Gan Qiongying's words that had previously provoked the Empress Dowager, the clans were deeply rooted and powerful; together they could shake the heavens and the earth, becoming an iceberg that no one in Nanzhao dared to touch.

But frankly speaking, the Empress Dowager is just a branch on this tree. Even if you put her at the top of the tree, would the tree really be afraid of losing a branch?

In the face of money, people can become ugly and distorted beyond description. In the face of power, whether a person is still human is a question.

Would the regent really give up everything for his mother, whom he can't even talk about openly?

Even the entire Kou clan, and even the regent, naively made concessions, fleeing Yindu with the Empress Dowager.

So what happens next?

How will I live my life from now on?

To keep that old hag by your side forever, taking her hostage? That's disgusting enough.

Whether they release the old witch or kill her, they will become sitting ducks with nowhere to hide. At that time, they will be thoroughly investigated by two overwhelming forces. Even if not for the Empress Dowager's life, they will not let the two of them go, for the sake of their own prestige.

How long can they be free? In the end, they might die even more miserably than that old hag. What's the point of running away then?

If Gan Qiongying truly believes that by capturing the Empress Dowager, she has captured everything, then she and Gan Lin are certain to die tonight.

This explains why, even though Gan Qiongying had subdued the Empress Dowager, she did not seriously injure her but instead released her.

Gan Qiongying and Gan Lin are walking a tightrope right now.

The slightest misstep could mean certain death; she couldn't let things become irreversible.

She had to find a way to leave the palace unscathed while maintaining a delicate balance between the Empress Dowager and Gan Lin after tonight, until she had arranged everything outside the palace and quietly escaped with Gan Lin.

Otherwise, her impulsiveness, her seemingly swift resistance, would have been nothing but pure foolishness, merely a hand pushing Gan Lin into the abyss.

Gan Qiongying broke out in a fine layer of cold sweat on her back, but her face still maintained its usual arrogant demeanor.

This arrogance not only deceived the Empress Dowager, but even Gan Lin, who was behind her, thought that Gan Qiongying had some amazing plan.

In reality, Gan Qiongying was simply a reckless and desperate older sister who didn't want her younger brother to drink poison himself.

Gan Qiongying looked at Kou Ning'an and said, "You're probably thinking that as long as you kill everyone in this bedchamber, your ugly secrets will be kept secret and no one will know them anymore, right?"

"Oh, perhaps you will also send people to kill everyone in my princess's residence in order to eliminate future troubles, or even kill those officials who have dealings with me, so that you can rest easy and continue your great cause of usurping the throne."

"Haha, hahahahaha..." Gan Qiongying laughed and laughed until tears streamed down her face.

These tears are physiological, caused by an adrenaline surge due to excessive stress.

Gan Qiongying had never been so nervous in her life. Her adrenaline was so high that she didn't even feel the pain when she looked down and saw that her feet were covered in injuries and that she had stepped on broken porcelain shards.

Gan Qiongying reached up and wiped away the tears on her face, her smile deepening: "What you've thought of, I've certainly thought of too. Of course I wouldn't tell those people in the open about such an important piece of information, otherwise, you've sent out plenty of spies there over the years, wouldn't you know?"

"Let me tell you, I've embellished all your glorious deeds and edited them into a book, mixing truth and falsehood together, and I've written two whole books! Each book is divided into two volumes."

"I had these two books printed and copied several years ago and distributed throughout Nanzhao. They are in the hands of my own undercover agents."

"These books are updated every two years, and each new version is more wonderful than the last!"

As Gan Qiongying finished speaking, the Empress Dowager's expression became completely distorted. The veins on her forehead and neck bulged and twitched back and forth, making her appear incredibly lifelike. Her whole body trembled violently, and she finally no longer resembled a porcelain doll.

Gan Qiongying clapped her hands and laughed, "You're probably thinking now that everything leaves a trace, so just catch me, kill me, or investigate according to my network of influence."

"No, that won't work."

Gan Qiongying held up a finger and shook it at Kou Ning'an, saying in a very slow yet sinister tone, "Because even I can't find those undercover agents! Hahahaha—"

There's nothing there at all, you won't find a damn thing.